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The Game
Saturday afternoon's game marks the second meeting all-time between Binghamton and Stonehill after last year's matchup in Vestal, N.Y. at the Binghamton Events Center, one the Skyhawks won 69-66 on a game-winning shot at the buzzer. Stonehill enters the matchup having lost six straight, five on the road and the most recent being at Merkert Gym. In last years matchup at Binghamton, grad student Max Zegarowski tallied 12 points and two blocks in the winning effort. The Bearcats also return a grad student of their own, guard Dan Petcash whose 9.8ppg ranks second on the team. Newcomer Tymu Chenery leads Binghamton with 12.9ppg, ranking 11th in the America East in scoring. Senior Jackson Benigni, after having missed all of last season due to injury, enters Saturday's matchip leading the Skyhawks with 12.8ppg after his fourth straight game in double figures Wednesday night against UMass Lowell. The Skyhawk offense is averaging 76.3ppg over its last three games after a slow offensive start to the season.

Media Information
Saturday afternoon's game will be broadcasted digitally on NEC Front Row with Charlie Bergeron (play-by-play) and Brian Buckley (analyst) calling the action for the Skyhawks. The game will be broadcast live on WSHL, the Stonehill student radio station with Chris Robbins and Andrew Nilsen on the call.

Last Time Out
EASTON, Mass. (November 29, 2023) – Senior Jackson Benigni (East Hampton, Conn.) scored 21 points in an 80-74 loss that went down to the wire Wednesday night against UMass Lowell at Merkert Gymnasium. In 26 minutes of action, Benigni shot 8-17 from the field and scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half of Wednesday night's loss. Ayinde Hikim led all scorers, putting in 25 points on 50% (8-6) shooting for the Riverhawks. His seven assists and three steals were also game-high marks. Max Brooks tallied a game-high nine rebounds to go along with his three blocks. Stonehill is now 1-1 at home to start the season, this being the first game at Merkert Gym for the Skyhawks in 19 days following a five-game road trip across four different states (Connecticut – twice, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Texas). Stonehill had its best game protecting the basketball this season as they recorded a season-low six turnovers. The Skyhawks also recorded a season-high five blocks led by Meuser's new career-high of three blocks on the defensive end. Benigni's 18 points in the second half are the most in a single half by a Skyhawk this season.

Transfer Trio
Stonehill saw three new faces join the team for the 2023-24 season through the transfer portal. Sophomore Tony Felder (Virginia Military Institute), junior Shane O'Dell (Saint Rose), and Pano Pavlidis (Hartford). Despite all three being newcomers, the trio has made an instant impact for the Skyhawks as Pavlidis has started all eight games while Felder has started all but one and O'Dell has started in five of the eight. Felder currently leads the team in assists while ranking second in scoring and steals per game. Pavlidis is first on the team in field goal and second in three-point percentages along with leading the team in rebounds per game. O'Dell is the teams fourth-best scorer and is fourth in three-point percentage.

Preseason Prognostications
Stonehill was picked to finish ninth in its first Northeast Conference season by the league's head coaches before they finished in a tie for second place as they went 10-6. This season, they were voted to finish in sixth place, three spots higher after their strong debut to the NEC in 2022-23.  

Tough Slate
Stonehill has picked up where it left off last season when it comes to assembling a  tough non-conference slate, featuring three pre-season ranked opponents and two of the NCAA Final Four teams from this past March. They'll take on teams from the Big East  (1 - #5 UConn), ACC (1 - #12 Miami), SEC (1 - #17 Kentucky), Big Ten (1 - Rutgers), A-10 (2- Saint Joseph's (Pa.), George Washington), Patriot League (1 - Army), America East (3 - UMass Lowell, Binghamton, New Hampshire), and the MAAC (2 - Quinnipiac, Rider) leading up to their second season of NEC play. 11 of the Skyhawks 15 non-conference games will be played on the road.

Ranked Rigor
Stonehill enters the season with three nationally ranked opponents from the AP/Coaches Preseason Poll, No. 6 UConn, No. 13 Miami, and No. 16 Kentucky. Entering the 2023-24 season, the Skyhawks had never faced a nationally ranked Division I opponent in its programs history.

In Transition
Stonehill announced it had accepted an invitation to join the Northeast Conference and commence a four-year transition to full NCAA Division I membership on April 5, 2022. The Skyhawks started their four-year transition on July 1, 2022, and will earn full NCAA Division I membership in 2026-27. At the June NEC meetings, the Conference presidents announced a shift in the waiting period for automatic qualifier sports from competing for NEC postseason championships from four to two years, making Stonehill eligible to compete in the NEC postseason starting this year, in 2023-24.

Proud History
Stonehill won the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup six times, finishing in the top three in the final standings 15 of the last 17 years. Stonehill was one of just ten institutions nationwide to receive the NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Achievement, recognizing athletic departments with an Academic Success rating of 90-percent or better, in each of the first ten years of the program's existence. The College ranks No. 98 in the category of National Liberal Arts Schools by U.S. News & World Report and No. 94 in the Best Value category.

Hoop History
Stonehill men's basketball earned 15 NCAA Division II Tournament bids over its history, the last was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Stonehill was a charter member of the Northeast-10 Conference, winning the first two tournament championships in 1981 and '82, finishing its time in the Conference with four postseason titles and six regular season championships.

Getting Social
Fans and media members of Stonehill Athletics have multiple social media outlets to get updates on all 23 varsity programs. The department's Facebook page is www.facebook.com/stonehillskyhawks, and you can also follow @GoStonehill on Twitter and @stonehillskyhawks via Instagram! You can also search for Stonehill men's basketball on Facebook, follow the team's Twitter account via @StonehillBball as well as head coach Chris Kraus @CoachChrisKraus, and its new Instagram feed @stonehillbball. 

Up Next
Stonehill heads back on the road to take on Stony Brook at Island Federal Arena for a 6:31 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday, Dec. 6.